Dannon

Dannon “Yogurt” is a delightful 3-year-old with an endearing smile who has battled Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Because kiddos with Down Syndrome have a higher chance of developing this cancer, he had been receiving regular blood draws since birth to track his counts. Everything looked great for two years until his doctor found that he had a low platelet count – the first sign of leukemia. The next week showed another drop in his platelet count, and a bone marrow biopsy confirmed the diagnosis. Dannon endured a week in the hospital for a round of chemotherapy, followed by two weeks in the hospital for maintenance and one week at home… six times. He spent a total of 162 days as in-patient at the hospital. Thankfully, treatment did its job and Dannon has been in the recovery stage for some time now! The three-year-old is happiest around his close family and looks up to his big brother – someone he couldn’t be around very much due to his hospital stays. He lights up any room (and your Facebook feed) with his smile, and we were glad to make that smile appear when we granted his wish for a playset. It will help him learn boundaries, work on therapies, and give him something to enjoy for years to come. Let’s think sunny thoughts so Dannon can spend more time outside with his wish-come-true! Even though it’s been rainy, we think he’s also been enjoying some of the toys the Maddy Nelson Memorial Foundation helped us gift to him. Thank you to the Maddy Nelson crew, and three cheers for an ultimate summer of fun for Dannon!